The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
This invention relates to systems for transporting loads and setting up a remote facility for military or commercial use. More particularly, this invention relates to an air cushion transportable structure for high-speed transit over the water or land and deployment on land or anchored offshore.
Normal facilities such as warehouses, military/commercial staging areas, repair depots, and accommodations for personnel require a marine vessel or land-based real estate. Most ships have speeds of 20 to 30 knots and drafts that limit where they can be deployed, and land based in facilities are geographically constrained to one location.
The success of many military operations, especially against the terrorist threat, requires rapid response with significant logistical support. As history progresses, many countries are refusing to allow U.S. forces responding to a threat to stage from their territories. This requires the responding forces and logistical support for these forces to travel long distances from cooperating countries, or operate from distant conventional ships. The long distances that must be traveled restrict the ability to respond quickly to local events due to time-on-station limitations, as well as response time. Conventional ships require significant time to travel to the local area and respond.
Motel-like commercial accommodations require high construction costs and are restricted to one locale. When the market changes locale, costly new facilities must be constructed at a new location. When severe weather approaches, the fixed facilities are at risk from damage from winds, water, and flying debris.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a high speed marine platform that can transit to a distant site at high speeds in the range of 100-200 knots, anchor at the site, change its configuration to reduce the effects of motion by the sea, and create a stable base for operations.
An object of the invention is to provide a high-speed platform to travel to a remote site to create a stable base.
An object of the invention is to transport living and working quarters from one locale to another at speeds of 100 to 200 mph.
Another objective is to provide an operational base anchored in international waters to provide a military presence or facility.
Another objective is to permit commercial resorts to relocate dependent upon seasonal business, shifting markets, or weather.
Another objective is to provide a sea base having reduced reactionary motion to conditions of the sea.
Another objective is to provide a means of increasing the working load of a platform (gross-weight) by capturing air in the air cushion volume under a lower level structural member.
Another objective is to provide a working facility that can be relocated over land, swamp, marsh, or soft mud.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ocean going platform to travel at high speeds to a remote site, anchor, and change its configuration to create a stable base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a platform to travel at high speeds to a remote site and move portions of its hull a distance below the surface of the water to create a stable base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a platform to travel at high speeds to a remote site and move portions of its hull a distance and fill air in volumes associated with the portions below the surface of the water to create a stable base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a platform having a flexible skirt of a hovercraft for high-speed travel across water, beaches, and overland to a remote site to create a stable base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a platform having a flexible skirt of a hovercraft for high speed travel across water to a remote site where a lower level section is moved a distance below the surface of the water to create a stable base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a platform having a flexible skirt of a hovercraft for high speed travel across water to a remote site where a lower level section is moved a distance below the surface of the water and gas is filled in volumes associated with the lower level section below the surface of the water to create a stable base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a platform having a flexible skirt of a hovercraft for high speed travel across water to a remote site where a lower level section is moved a distance below the surface of the water and gas is filled in volumes associated with the flexible skirt below the surface of the water to create a stable base.
Another objective is to provide a capability to connect several modular platforms together to form different geometric shapes which increase the size of a facility.
Another objective is to connect several modular platforms together to form a landing strip for fixed wing aircraft.
These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the ensuing specification when taken in conjunction with the appended claims.
Accordingly, the present invention is to a modular platform having a flexible skirt of a hovercraft to travel at high speeds to a remote site, anchor, and change its configuration to create a stable base. The modular platform includes an upper level section having first gas turbines mounted on it for propulsion, and a lower level section has a lower periphery having a flexible skirt system connected to it to create an air cushion. Hollow struts extend between the upper level section and the lower level section. Each hollow strut is securely connected to the lower level section and has an opening communicating with a skirt volume inside of the flexible skirt system. Each hollow strut slideably engages the upper level section to permit sliding motion of the upper level section on the hollow struts toward and away from the lower level section. A second gas turbine is connected to each of the hollow struts to force pressurized gas through them to create an air cushion with the flexible skirt system to enable high-speed transit over water and land and provide buoyancy.